This invention relates to a process for the production of 2-vinyl oxazolines and new substituted 2-vinyl oxazolines.
2-Vinyl oxazoline is a valuable comonomer for the production of thermosetting coating compositions (DAS No. 1,261,261). In one known process, the compositions are produced by condensing 2-methyl oxazoline with paraformaldehyde in the presence of strong bases as catalysts to form 2-(2'-hydroxyethyl)-oxazoline from which water is liberated by alkaline catalysts, leaving 2-vinyl oxazoline as the end product. Unfortunately, the yields obtained in both stages only amount to 23 to 64.5%, respectively (cf. angewandte Chemie 78, 922 (1966)). For this reason, it has hitherto only been possible to use 2-vinyl oxazolines on a commercial scale to a limited extent, with the result that there is an urgent need for an improved manufacturing process which is commercially and economically satisfactory.